CRMB :::: Vol.2, No.1, January - February2014

Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology is an international open access bi-monthly journal that covers all aspects of latest research in microbiology and biotechnology. Manuscripts are published soon after peer-review.

Asanga Edet et al. Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology 2(1) 2014: 289-291

289-291

ABSTRACT:The research was geared towards unraveling the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites among 104 dogs resident in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria by using microscopy and formol ether concentration techniques between the months of February and March, 2013. From the result, 77 dogs (74.0 %) were positive for gastrointestinal parasites. The direct microscopy was positive in 45 dogs (43.3 %) cases while formol ether concentration method accounted for 59 (56.7 %) positive samples. The result revealed absence of protozoan parasites with a high presence of helminths parasites as follows: Hook worm of dogs (65.2 %), Ascarids of dogs (34.8 %). Also, male dogs were less infected (66.6 %) than female dogs (80.4 %). The prevalence of infection by gender was statistically significant (p < 0.05), hence, this study succeeded in unraveling a high endemicity of helminths infection among dogs in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT:Studies were conducted to isolate and identify Edwardsiella tarda from diseased fish, evaluate their antibiotic sensitivity pattern and screen the antibacterial activity of some medicinal plant extracts against the isolates. A total of 12 E. tarda isolates were identified through a series of morphological, physiological and biochemical tests. Furthermore, pathogenicity of the isolates was addressed by experimental challenges with fish models. The isolates exhibited strong virulence to mrigal fish (Cirrhinus mrigala) with LD50 ranging from 1.3×103 to 1.8×108 CFU/fish-1. Seven isolates out of these twelve were found highly virulent exhibiting high (100%) mortality in experimental fish. In vitro antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the E. tarda isolates was conducted by disc diffusion method for eight antibiotic discs where, all of the isolates were found to be sensitive against ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, chloramphenicol and gentamycin. Conversely, majority of the isolates were resistant to oxytetracycline (75%), ampicillin (66%) and nalidixic acid (50%). A total of 82 plant extracts were screened for their antibacterial activity against the E. tarda isolates where 12 plant extracts were able to show antibacterial activity. Among the plant species tested, Tamarindus indica, Citrus aurantifolia, Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia chebula, Spondius pinnata showed the most promising result against all of the E. tarda isolates.

ABSTRACT:The Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection stands as potential serious viral complication in pregnant women. It is also the most common cause of abortion during pregnancy. In this work, the detection of HCMV IgG and IgM antibodies in serum specimen from suspected patients was carried out by ELIZA. The results of serological investigation were compared to the results of Real time PCR based detection of the HCMV from serum samples to check the validity of this technique in the early diagnosis of the infection. Our investigation reviled that all the 46 patients were harboring the IgG antibodies against HCMV antigen where as 40 samples were carried HCMV IgM antibodies. On the other hand 25 patients were positively identified to be HCMV carrier as 21 samples of the serum was free from nucleic acid substance of the virus.

S. Afrose et. al. Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology 2(1) 2014: 301-309

301-309

ABSTRACT:Leaf blight of litchi caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae seems a great threat for raising quality and healthy litchi saplings in order to get higher fruit production in Bangladesh. A study was carried out to analyze the genetic diversity of P. syringae pv. syringae causing leaf blight of litchi in major litchi growing areas viz. Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Mymensingh, Barishal and Khagrachari in Bangladesh. Survey data showed that the highest litchi blight incidence and severity were recorded in Dinajpur and Kagrachari region while the lowest incidence and severity were recorded in Mymensingh region. A total of 25 isolates of P. syringae pv. syringae obtained from five locations were considered to evaluate the genetic diversity by RAPD analyses. RAPD analyses using the values of pair-wise comparisons of Nei’s genetic distance among five different locations were performed. From the pair group method of arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram based on Nei’s genetic distances, comparatively the highest genetic distance (0.9163) was observed in Khagrachari vs Barishal, Mymensingh vs Barishal and Rajshahi vs Mymensingh but Dinajpur was close to the Barishal with the least genetic distance (0.3567). Thus, the results indicate that the higher or lower level of genetic distance exists among the isolates of P. syringae pv. syringae with their different origins. The genetic variation among these isolates of different regions indicating geographical variation among the isolates collected from different regions.

Maha Fakhry Altaee. Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology 2(1) 2014: 310-315

310-315

ABSTRACT:This study was conducted to study the cytogenetic effect of both alcoholic and water extracts of propolis on mice. Three different samples of propolis were collected from three different regions of Iraq (Najaf, Arbil and Baghdad) to be used in this study. The cytotoxic effect of two different doses of each extracted sample was measured by employing cytogenetic analysis which included (mitotic index (MI), chromosomal aberrations (CAs), micronucleus index (MN) and sperm abnormalities). Results showed that significant increase in MI and significant reduction in MN, CAs and sperm abnormalities percentage were seen after treatment with both alcoholic and water extract of the three samples when compared with negative control, and alcoholic extracts were more effective than water extracts. Moreover, the water and alcoholic extracts of the propolis that was collected form Najaf was shown to be more valuable than the propolis of Arbeel and Baghdad.

Mir Naiman Ali and Mohammed Mazharuddin Khan. Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology 2(1) 2014: 316-324

316-324

ABSTRACT:In the present study fourteen cultures were isolated from soil samples, fruits and fermented products, of which seven were found to be yeasts. These seven yeasts were subjected to thorough identification scheme upto species level by cultural, morphological, microscopic, biochemical and physiological studies and by comparing the results with reference strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae MTCC 170. The yeasts were characterized with respect to temperature tolerance, ethanol tolerance and osmotolerance. Batch stationary fermentation was carried out in Erlenmeyer flasks for bioethanol production. Growth and fermentation kinetics were calculated for stationary fermentation. Three species (TA, C2 and K2) were identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, two (S1 and S2) were identified as Saccharomyces rosinii, and the other two (K1 and S3) were identified as Saccharomyces exiguus and Rhodotorula minuta respectively. Among all yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae TA and C2 strains were high ethanol tolerant (tolerated 14% ethanol), high osmotolerant (tolerated 20% sugar) and high bioethanol producing strains with a yield of 32 and 28 g/l for TA and C2 respectively. Results indicated that fermentation kinetics with S. cerevisiae TA and C2 strains were faster than other yeast strains including the reference strain MTCC 170 with the ethanol yield (Yp/s= 0.160 and 0.155 g g-1), volumetric substrate uptake (QS= 2.638 and 2.50 g L-1 h-1), conversion rate into ethanol (16.80 and 15.50 %) and volumetric product productivity (Qp,= 0.44 and 0.38 g L-1 h-1) respectively..